Wood-heel clamp



May 29, 1928.

J. E. ROUSSEAU ET AL WOOD HEEL CLAMP Original Fild Dec. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet '1 May 29, 1928. 1,671,128

J. E- ROUS SEAU ET AL WOOD HEEL CLAMP Original Filed Dec. 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 29, 1928 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH 1E. ROUSSEAU AND LOUIS O. BRUNELLE, OF HAVER'HILL, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION OF PATERSON, NEW JER-SEY, CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

woon-nnnr. CLAMP.

Application filed LDeceinber 7, 1923, Serial No. 679,080. Renewed April22, 1926.

This invention relates to that class of de' vices which are employed toclamp a wood heel on the heel seat of a-shoe when attaching the heel inposition by means of an adhesive, to hold the heel until the adhesivesets.

Prior to our invention numerousforms of clamps for the above-mentionedpurpose have been employed, but these clamps are open to variousobjections. For example, it has been customary to clamp the heel to theshoe by means of an ordinary iron C-clamp. Another form of clamp whichhas been in use for many years comprises a last-engaging memberadjustably mounted on a suport' and a heel-top engaging member having ahand operated cam for forcing it towards the last-engaging member. Thesede vices are objectionable because the heel once positioned, isfrequently displaced while the clamping means is being operated andcannot be reset in position until the clamping means has been restoredto initial inoperative position. Furthermore, such devices are notadapted satisfactorily to clamp heels of considerable variation inpitch, and it oftenhappens that, while a heel may be clamped as tightlyas possible when the clamping pressure is first applied, the heel seatwill yield shortly thereafter, so that the heel will no longer betightly clamped and as a result will be insecurely attached by theadhesive and will fall off the shoe when the shoe is removed from theclamp, or later when it is attempted to drive the attaching nails. Theclamps heretofore used are also usually cumbersome and inconvenient tohandle.

One object of our invention is to provide an improved clamp which willbe adapted to permit a heel to be readily reset if it should becomeshould be found that the heel has not been set initially in properposition.

With this object in view, one feature of our invention consists in theprovision of means for moving a resilient clamp'member in a directionheightwise of a heel on a shoe, p

constructed and arranged to permit a limited amount of movement of theclamp memher in that direction resiliency of the member independently ofits operating means so that the clamp member may be moved into clampingposition and withdrawn therefrom, if desired, with the clampingpressure.

accidentally displaced or, in case it without affecting the out anyactuation of the means for applying Thus if the heel becomes displacedat any time before the clamping pressure is actually applied thereto,the heel may be reset without any loss of time or necessity ofmanipulating the pressure applying means.

Another object of the inventionis to pro vide a clamp which will applyan effective and adequate clamping pressure even though the material atthe heel seat or other portion of the structure clamped should yield atany time after the clamp has'been adjusted in place. i

. To the accomplishment of this object and in accordance with anotherfeature of the invention, the illustrated clamp member'is made ofresilient metal shaped and arranged so that it will yield a substantialamount under the clamping pressure. Thus, if the heel seat materialsshould yield after the clamp member has been moved into clampingposition the clamp member will react to prevent substantial relieving ofthe clamp mg pressure.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing description of the preferred embodiment thereof illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a woodheel clamp embodying our invention, and showing-a heel in clampedposition.

Fig. 2 is a rear end view, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figs. 4 and 5 are side views and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional viewshowing different stages of the clamping operation.

According to our invention we provide a last support herein shown as apost 1, the lower end of whichis adapted to be inserted in a socket orhole formed in a work bench or any other convenient supporting means.The

0st 1 is screw threaded throughout its middle portion for a distancesufiicient to permit whatever adjustment may be necessary to enableheels of the widest variation in height to be clamped therein, and a nutin the form of a hand wheel 2 is screwed thereon, said wheel having anupwardly projecting hub portion 3 on the upper end of which atransversely projecting annular flange 4 is formed. A sleeve or carrier5 is slidably mounted on hand, and

lower end, providing a pair of inwardly extend ng flanges 6, whlch areadapted to engage the under side of the flange 4, thereby providing aswivel connection wlth the hand wheel 2. and permitting adpistinent ofthe sleeve or carrier on the post by means of said wheel.

A. loop shaped heel-clamping strap-7 is provided, having parallel endportions in which elongated apertures or slots 8 are formed and extendlongitudinally thereof, said slots being adapted to receive projectingpins 9 mounted in the sleeve 5, and said strap being formed of resilientmetal and con'iprising a straight transverse heel top engaging portion10 at the middle thereof and outwardly bowed side portions or armsconnecting the top-engaging portion and the parallel end portions.

The top end portion of the post 1 is made in the form of an ordinaryjack pin, so that, when the lower end is set into the hole or socketprovided therefor, a last may be sup ported on the upper end thereof.

In using the device, a last with a shoe thin-eon is placed in positionon the post, and, the heel seat having been formed upon the shoe, a heelis set in position thereon. WVhile this is being done the strap 7 willbe swung out of the way of the operator, so that he can readily see ifthe heel is correctly positioned.

thestrap 7 is swung up over the heel top with the other, so that themiddle portion lOof the strap is directly over some portion of the heeltop, and in doing this the strap will be pulled upward, so that thelower ends of the slots Wlll be engaged by the pins 9. When the portion10 is directly over the heel top, as shown in the dotted line positionof Fig. i, the strap is lowered so that the portion 10 thereof isengaged with the portion of the heel top which can be engaged thereby tothe best advantage, as shown in Fig. 5. The heel will then be held inposition by pressing down on the strap with one hand while withthe otherthe heel maybe readjusted, if necessary, and, when correctly positioned,the operator will rotate the hand wheel 2 with one hand while he holdsthe strap in position with the other, thereby drawing down the sleeve 5and causing the pins 9 to engage the lower ends of the slots 8, and thenpulling downward upon the strap until its heel engaging portion 10firmly clamps the heel against the heel seat of the shoe, as shown inFigs. 1 and 6. In practice the sleeve 5 til the bowed side portions'aresomewhat straightened,as indicated in the dotted posi-.

tion of Fig. 2, so that, in case the heel seat should yield after theclamp has been set aside for the glue todry, the side portions willspring back towards their normal bowed position and take up the slackthus occabe, and the pressure Theheel is then held with one adj 'ustingwill be drawn down un- ,ment on the. heel-top and then pushing it downand positively clamping'it, the heel may be clamped to the bestadvantage without regard to what its particular pitch may may thus bedistributed as uniformly as possible over the entire heel seat.

either edge portion and at After the heel has been clamped,- the wholedevice may be removed from the bench and set into a rack, which may be asimple bar the clamp.

having holes to receive the post of When the last is to be removed, thewheel 2 is simply screwed up until the strap can be swung hack free ofthe heel.

The above described clamp is of simple and durable construction and isnotcumbersome to handle, and with it the operator is enabled to performthe operation of clamping a heel to a shoe with great facility.

We claim: r

1. A wood heel clamp comprising a last supporting post, a carrier on thepost and having a swiveled screw thread connection therewith, anda'clamping strap formed to providetwo arms and an intermediate heel-topengaging portion, said arms being pivotally connected at their ends tosaid carrier and arranged for limited longitudinal movement relativelythereto.

2. A wood heel clamp comprising a last supporting post, a carrierslidably mounted on the post and having means for positively the samethereon, and a loop shaped strap comprising a pair of approximatelyparallel arms and an intermediate transverse heel-top engaging portion,said carrier having oppositely projectingpivot pins and said arms havinglongitudinal slots in their end portions into which said pins extend, toform a pivotal connection thereslidably. mounted with and permit limitedlongitudinal movement relative thereto. I r y 8. A woodheel clampcomprisinga-last supporting jack, a sleeve slidable on said post andhaving a swivele'd, threaded connection therewith, a loop-shaped straphaving a straight intermediate portion adapted constructed and arrangedto permit alimited amount of sliding movement of said strap a carrieradjustably mounted on'said post,

a loop shaped clamping strap'o'f resilient metal comprising a pair ofarms and an intermediate transverse engaging portion, said arms beingpivotally connected at their ends to said carrier and being laterallybowed to provide resilient connection between said carrier and saidengaging portion adapted to yield under longitudinal tension and meansto force said carrier in a direction to draw said engaging portionagainst the top of a heel supported on said post.

5. A Wood heel clamp comprising a post adapted to support a last at itsupper end, a carrier adjustably mounted on said post, a loop shapedclamping strap of resilient metal comprising a pair of arms and anintermediate transverse engaging portion, said arms being pivotallyconnected at their ends to said carrier and being laterally extendedoutward from their ends andthe ends of said engaging portion to themiddle portion thereof, to provide a resilient connection between saidcarrier and said engaging, portion adapted to yield under longitudinaltension and means to force said carrier downwardly on said post.

6. A heel clamp comprising a support for a. last, a clamp meniberi'orengaging a heel on a shoe on the last, and clamp operating meansformoving the clamp member in a direction heightwise of the heel to clampthe heel to the shoe, said means including loosely connected partsconstructed and arranged to move relatively to each other to permit alimited amount of free movement of the clamp member in said direction.

7 A'heel clamp comprising a support for alast, aresilient clampingmember for engaging a heel on a shoe on the last, and clamp operatingmeans for moving the clamping member in a direction heightwise of theheel yieldingly to clamp the heel to the shoe, said means beingconstructed and arranged to permit a limited amount of movement of theclamping member in said direction relatively to the clamp operatingmeans Without affecting the resiliency of the clamping member.

'8. A heel clamp comprising a post for supporting a last, a nut threadedon the post, a clamp member for engaging a heel on a shoe on the last,and-connections between the clamp member and the nut for moving theclamp member to apply elamping pressure to the heel, said connectionsbeing constructed and arranged to permit a limited amount of freemovement of the clamp member relatively to the nut in a directionheightwise of the heel.

9. A heel clamp comprising a last engaging member and a clamp member forengaging a heel applied to a shoe on the last, one of said members beingmade of resilient metal shaped and arranged to yield a substantialamount under the application of clamping pressure thereto and to reactto prevent substantial relieving of said pressure in case the materialclamped should subsequently yield, and means connected With one of saidmembers With provision for'lost motion between said means and saidmember for applying clamping pressure to said member.

In testimony'whereof, We have signed our names to this specification.

JOSEPH E. ROUSSEAU. LOUIS O. BRUNELLE.

